Unexpected Bust: 93-Year-Old And Doctor Among Those Nabbed In NDLEA Raid

The arrests were among several intelligence-driven operations conducted across different states as the agency ramped up its crackdown on illicit drugs.

In Abia State, NDLEA officers arrested a 93-year-old suspect, Pa Friday Ahukanna Chigbu, at his residence in Umuagbaigba, Amavo Nkwogu village, Osisioma Local Government Area. The arrest followed a search of his home, where 7.7 kilograms of skunk, a form of cannabis, were recovered.

The suspect reportedly said he previously worked as a truck pusher before learning painting and tiling, and claimed he ventured into the drug trade about a year ago. He also admitted to having used cannabis since 1959 before turning it into a business.

In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a 41-year-old Ivorian national, Gohouri Michael, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. He was caught during passenger clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan via Addis Ababa, with 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms concealed in his body.

Investigations revealed that he arrived in Lagos from Milan in January and had been moving between Lagos and Enugu before heading to Kano, where he ingested the drugs in a hotel. He was allegedly promised €5,000 to deliver the drugs in Italy.

Further investigations led to the arrest of an alleged accomplice, Dr. Chudi Daniel Ofomata, a 69-year-old medical doctor, in Magboro, Ogun State. Recovered from him were 63 grams of promazepam and seven ampoules of promethazine injection.

The agency also recorded multiple arrests and drug seizures across the country.

In Ogun State, three suspects were arrested with 34 kilograms of skunk at Sango Ota. In Imo State, officers seized 56.2 kilograms of cannabis from a 26-year-old woman along the Onitsha–Owerri road.

In Niger State, a couple was arrested after 118 kilograms of cannabis were found in their kitchen during a search of their home in Lapai Local Government Area.

In Borno State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck carrying vehicle spare parts along the Damaturu–Maiduguri road and discovered large quantities of controlled substances hidden inside. The owner of the consignment was later arrested.

In Lagos, officers intercepted a luxury bus heading to Port Harcourt along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and recovered 15 kilograms of a strong cannabis strain, leading to the arrest of two suspects. Another operation in Mushin resulted in the seizure of 26,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup concealed in a truck transporting goods to Onitsha.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives intercepted two trucks along Warrake Road in Auchi carrying a total of 7,245 kilograms of processed cannabis hidden among cartons of beer. Five suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure, with the consignment reportedly en route to Abuja.

Meanwhile, the agency said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continues nationwide through awareness programmes in schools, communities, and transport hubs.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged sustained efforts to tackle both drug supply and demand through enforcement and public education.